The Daily

Homicide Rate in San Antonio Dropped 16 Percent in 2017

San Antonio's seen a 16 percent drop in murders in the past year, according to new data released Thursday by the San Antonio Police Department.

SAPD's 2017 Uniform Crime Report revealed that along with the 16 percent decrease in homicides, the department also saw a 56 percent decrease in gang related murders, a 46 percent decrease in narcotic related murders, and a 6 percent decrease in “part one offenses,” which include crimes like murder, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, vehicle theft, and arson.

“I truly believe that the drop in crime… is due to that constant drive of every police officer, regardless of their assignment,” SAPD Chief William McManus said during a Thursday press conference. According to McManus, a coordinated effort between the city’s Violent Crimes Task Force, Street Crimes Unit, and other covert units helped improve San Antonio’s crime numbers.

The 2017 numbers mark a significant decline from 2016, when the city experienced its deadliest in 21 years with a total of 151 murders.

“We started out with… a lot of discussion internally about whether or not an increase in arrests, an increase in targeted, intelligence-driven policing would have an impact on crime at the end of the year. And quite frankly, I had my doubts that it would,” McManus said. “But I was proven wrong, thank goodness.”